Write Task 1: Picture Books

As the article states, pictures are all around us; not just in picture books. We see pictures everywhere. Pictures, images, or visual representations are present everywhere you turn. We see them when driving, when in school, when at the park, and so on. Pictures not only emphasize or reinforce what is being told, taught, or expressed, but they provide even more critical detail and information. Plus, sometimes pictures come in handy for a totally different reason all together too. For example, when someone does not speak a certain language, they can often rely on symbols or pictures to help them communicate or understand a street sign, for instance. In other words, if someone sees a stop sign, but does not know the meaning of the word, by seeing that it is red in color, he/she can make inferences and draw conclusions about what it is communicating. In many cultures and societies, red signifies possible danger or to stop something, so the individual would have a much greater chance of understanding the street sign. On the other hand, if the stop sign were white like every other sign (or if this was the case in society), it would be very difficult/impossible to decide what to do unless you knew the word STOP. Likewise, in picture books, students can use illustrations to help them find meaning. Not only do pictures help characterization as well as a whole host of other benefits, but they make students more excited about reading and writing too. Just like signs, cover pictures, illustrations throughout a book, and the color of the book’s pages and cover can intrigue and really catch the eyes of readers and children. I know when I was younger, for example, I chose books based on their covers and pictures. I barely read the back of the book first (or the book’s summary). Instead, I would lean on the images to make my decision. Although you shouldn’t always “judge a book by its cover,” we usually/often do (even when you are older or a well experienced reader). That is one of the reasons why this is a saying after all! It is human nature to judge based on illustrations or, thinking more broadly, appearance. Another important thing that we teachers can do with picture books (besides the curriculum in schools) is to show children how to live everyday life. In other words, seeing pictures in books (and this would especially be helpful for primarily visual learners) helps children/students see what adult life is like. Much in the same way that playing house, for example, models adulthood and enables children to find out about the world, picture books can accomplish a similar goal too. I would never suggest that picture books replace all play for children, but I am definitely in favor of the idea that picture books should be incorporated into any school day, classroom, and home. So, in this way, then, picture books can be used to make up skits, posters, presentations, projects, and arts and crafts activities (and even more) because they provide a foundation. Picture books provide the topic or focus in a way. As my professor, Marisa Ferraro, stated this semester, we can use picture books as the building block or foundation and then keep on going back to that to create meaningful lessons and authentic activities. And, as we know, children learn best through those activities that are meaningful and they certainly learn well through play and having fun, so there is no doubt that incorporating or even focusing lessons on picture books would reap great positives. As the articles state, too, picture books are not just for preschoolers or the elementary grades, they can be useful for all grades!